Known Global Positioning System (“GPS”) tracking systems can provide a user with the ability to pre-configure a radius around a location for which events can occur and/or can transmit notification messages when an object crosses the radius. For example, some known GPS tracking systems refer to a pre-configured radius as a geo-fence. In these systems, when an object, such as a tracking device or an object being tracked by a tracking device, crosses the radius in either direction, a notification message, such as an email, an SMS message, an application event, or the like, can be transmitted to a user.
In known systems, a geo-fence can be pre-configured by a user around a defined location, such as the user's home or place of business. Then, a notification message can be transmitted to the user when an object, such as the user's vehicle, exits the geo-fence.
However, known systems permit a limited number of geo-fences and require that the geo-fences be pre-configured. That is, known systems limit the number of locations around which a radius of a geo-fence can be configured and require that those locations and radii be pre-configured. This can be problematic because such systems do not assist a user who wants to track an object around a location that is not necessarily predetermined or frequently visited, for example, a shopping mall, a sales call location, and the like. Without a pre-configured geo-fence, the user's object remains unprotected when at those locations.
In view of the above, there is a continuing, ongoing need for improved systems and methods with automatic radius cross notification for a GPS tracker device.